Weighing mechanism



July 27, 1965 K. G. LYTToN 3,196,967

WEIGHING MEGHANISM Original Filed July 5, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvmrox HIV/ring Wray M f MM@ ATTORNFYS July 27, 1965 K. G. LYTToN 3,196,967

WEIGHING MECHANISM original Filed July 5, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Maw/#mw ATTORNEYS July 27, 1965 K. G. LYTToN WEIGHING MEGHANISM original Filed July 5, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR fnf/V271? may ATTORNEYS July 27, 1965 K. G. LYTTON 3,196,967

WEIGHING MECHANISM MW. /f/f/ l INVENT OR ATTORNEYS United States Patent O Ace 3,196,967 WEIGHING MECHANISM Kenneth G. Lytton, R0. Box 1358, Gastonia, NC. Original application July 5, 1961, Ser. No. 136,966, now Patent No. 3,132,709, dated May 12, 1964. Divided and this application May 11, 1964, Ser. No. 366,529

1 Claim. (Cl. 177-157) This invention relates to textiles and, more particularly, to improved equipment for feeding textile fibers uniformly into a card. This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 136,966, filed July 5, 1961, now Patent 3,132,709, which is a continuation-in-part `of my earlier copending application Serial No. 857,140, filed December 3, 1959, now Patent 2,995783.

Cards, as is well-known in the art, form slivers, or roving, i.e., rope-like lengths of textile fibers that are in a somewhat parallel though loose and fluffy condition. Thread and yarn are made from sliver and roving by drawing and spinning operations. In order to maintain yarn uniformly without excessive doubling operations, it is essential that sliver and roving be of substantially uniform composition and weight throughout its length, i.e. per increment of length. The formation of uniform sliver and roving is dependent, to a great extent, on the maintenance of a uniform feed of fibers into a card.

Fibers usually are fed into a cotton card in the form of a lap made by a picker. Picker laps are, however, notoriously lacking in uniformity. As a consequence, convention-al cotton cards maintain sliver variation only within .l inch, a tolerance considered excellent `in the industry. Sliver variation is measured by a standard test, which involves both compression and pull-through of the sliver on a testing machine of a type well-known in the art.

Woolen cards usually are fed by so-called weighingfeeds of the Bramwell type which deposit successive batches of fibers of a desirably uniform predetermined weight on an endless card-feeding conveyor. Each deposited batch then is individually pushed and compacted, by a so-called push board, toward the delivery end of the conveyor and against the nip or card feed rolls in an effort to form a uniform mat, as shown, for example, in the patent to Willis, 2,597,831. The feeding of cards by such weighing-feeds, however, usually results in a greater variation or lack of uniformity in the roving made -on the card, then in sliver made on cotton cards with picker laps. This lack of uniformity appears, to a large extent, to be caused by the action of the push board in compressing the fibers so that there are large variations in density throughout the compacted mat. In this type of feed, each batch of fibers dropped on the moving conveyor forms a pile of irregular outline. The use of the push board is, therefore, an attempt to shape the irregularly shaped pile into a mass having some degree of uniformity of configuration.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide improved apparatus for feeding a textile card.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for feeding a textile card which will result in sliver or roving variation of no more than .05 inch.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved weighing feed type of apparatus for feeding a textile card.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

`FIGURE l is a perspective view Aof apparatus embodying this invention for feeding a textile card.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of 3,196,96? Patented July 27, 1965 a portion of the machine shown in FIGURE 1, and with a side door of the machine removed to illustrate interior parts.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 4 4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the controls of the machine shown in FIGURE l and illustrating the use thereof in feeding a textile card.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in FIG- URE l.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2 and 5 of the drawings, there is shown a fiber processing and feeding machine 10 of a type well-known in the art. The machine includes a housing having side and rear walls 12 and 14 partly defining a hopper 16, best shown in FIGURE 5, provided with an opening 1S adjacent its top through which fibers are deposited, usually by hand. At the bottom of the hopper 16 is an endless conveyor 20 which includes front and rear rollers 22 and 24. The conveyor 20 moves the fibers forwardly into engagement with an upwardly and forwardly extending spiked apron 26 trained over upper and lower rollers 28 `and 30. The apron 26 picks up the fibers and moves them upwardly out of the hopper 16. Adjacent the top of the apron 26 is a Sargent comb 32 which oscillates in close proximity to the spiked apron to strip therefrom surplus fibers so that upwardly beyond the comb the apron carries a web or mat of fibers of generally uniform thickness. In front of the upper roller 23 of the apron 26 is a rotating doffer 34 which strips the fibers from the apron and allows them to fall downwardly, in opened condition, through a discharge opening 36 beneath the doffer.

Disposed beneath the discharge opening 36 of the machine 19 is a weighing receptacle or scale pan 38 that is generally rectangular in plan view. The pan 38 is suspended, by straps 40, from the ends of the parallel arms 42 of a yoke-like scale beam 44 which straddles the discharge opening 36. The beam 44 is pivotally mounted on fulcrums or antifriction bearings 46 on the outer sides of the side walls 12 of the machine 10. Extending rearwardly of the beam fulcrums 46 is a beam counterbalance a-rm 48 having -a threaded extension Sil. Adjustable along the extension 50 is a large tubular counterweight 52 which can be maintained in a fixed position of adjustment by stop nuts 54 engaged with the opposite ends thereof. Between the counterweight 52 and the fulcrum point 46 of the beam 44 is a smaller counterweight 56 slidable along the beam and cooperating with an indicia scale 58 thereon. The counterweight 56 constitutes a Vernier adjustment and preferably the scale 58 is provided with indicia corresponding to 1/2 ounce weight adjustments.

Secured to the side 12 of the machine housing over the outer end of a beam arm 42 is a U-shaped permanent magnet 60 positioned to attaract and pull the end of the arm 42 upwardly, such end being formed of a magnetic material (as shown) or having a plate of such material secured thereto. Guided for ve1tical movement between the magnet arms is a stop 62 adapted to project below the lower ends of the magnet arms for varying the spacing between the scale arm 42 and the magnet 60. The stop 62 is vertically adjustable by means of a screw 64 which swivelly carries the stop and threadedly engages a plate 66 secured to the side 12 of the machine housing. i

From this construction it will be seen that the nearer the beam arm 42 to the magnet 60, the greater the attractive force exerted by the magnet on the beam arm, and vice versa. Preferably, a scale (not shown) is assocorresponding dimension of the weigh pan 38, as shown in FIGURE 6, or considerably greater than such dimension, as indicated in dotted lines. The inclination of the front and rear walls 138 and 140 may be of the order of 40 to the Vertical and the proportions of the chute 136 desirably are such that when the rear wall 148 is in its forwardmost position it substantially completely underlies the horizontal outline of the weigh pan 38. On the other hand, when the rear wall is in its rearwardmost position, only the lower portion of the rear wall 140 underlies such outline.

At the bottom of the chute 136 is an endless conveyor having a horizontal belt 142 trained over front and rear rollers 144 and 146 journalled in the front extensions 135 of the sides 12 of the machine housing. The bottom or rear wall 140 of the chute 136 depends into close proximity of the conveyor belt 142, as shown in FIGURE 5, while the lower portions of the front extensions 135 depend therebelow. Adjacent and above the front roller 144 of the conveyor 142 is a press roll 148 adapted to ride on fibers being carried forwardly out of the bottom of the chute 136 on the belt 142. The press roll 148 is maintained in position by end stub shafts received in vertical guideway notches 158 in the front extensions 135 of the sides 12 of the machine housing. The upper or front wall 138 `of the chute 136 depends into close adjacency with the rear side of the press roll 148, so that the latter essentially forms the lower portion of the front wall of the chute. It will be seen that las the upper reach of the conveyor belt 142 moves forwardly, vit will feed fibers out of the chute in a relatively thin flat web or stream.

In the use of the apparatus, the front roller 144 of the conveyor 142 is positioned closely adjacent the feed rolls 152 of a card 154, only a portion of which is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGURE 5. The card feed rolls 152 receive the web emerging from beneath the press roll 148 and feed it to the conventional licker-in 156 of the card. The conveyor 142 is driven by or in synchronism with the card 154 by means of an appropriate drive train 157 (not shown in detail) between the card and the stub shaft of one of the conveyor rollers 144 or 146.

Referring now to FIGURE 5 of the drawings, the motor 86 is supplied with power, from any appropriate source of three-phase power, by the conductors 158 which have three sets of normally-open contacts of a motor control relay 168 interposed therein. The relay is controlled by a circuit which includes the energizing coil of the relay 160, a normally-closed cam operated switch 162, a weight switch 164, and a manually-operable switch 166, all connected in series across an appropriate source of power, e.g., a transformer 168, by conductors 178, 172, 174, 176, 178, 180,182 and 183. The weigh switch 164 may be in the form of a conventional microswitch mounted on the side 12 of the machine housing above the arm 42 of the scale beam 44. The arrangement is such that when the arm 42 of the beam 44 is engaged with the stop 62 associated with the magnet 68, the weigh switch 164 is closed, but when any selected predetermined weight of fibers has been received in the weigh pan 38 and pulls the arm 42 away from the stop 62, the switch 164- is open.

From the foregoing arrangement it will be seen that when the switch 166 is closed and the weigh pan 38 is empty, the circuit which includes the energizing coil of the relay 168 will be closed so that the normally-open contacts of the relay in series with the conductors 158 will close, and the motor 86 will drive the machine 18 to feed fibers into the weigh pan 38. When the latter receives its predetermined weight of fibers the weigh switch 164 will open and the relay 160 will be de-energized, thus stopping the motor 86 and further feeding the fibers into the weigh pan.

Preferably, a normally open cut-off door 184 is mounted on a horizontal shaft 186 journalled in the side walls 12 of the machine housing immediately to the rear of the front wall 88 of the machine and above the discharge opening 36. The cylinder of a single-acting reciprocating fluid motor 188 is pivotally mounted, as at 190, to the side wall 12 of the machine housing, as shown in FIG- URE 2. The end of the piston rod 192 of the motor 188 is pivotally connected to a crank arm 194 on the end of the door shaft 186. The arrangement is such that when the piston rod 192 is extended, the door 184 lies substantially flush against the front wall 88 of the machine housing, but when the rod 192 is retracted, as by the supply of uid pressure to the motor 188, via a hose or conduit 196, the door 184 is swung into a position to substantially block the discharge opening 36 of the machine 18. The motor 188 is controlled by a two-way solenoid valve 198 connected into the conduit 196. When the valve 198 is energized, the supply of uid pressure to the motor 188 is interrupted and the latter is vented to atmosphere. When the valve 198 is de-energized, the motor is supplied with fluid under pressure. The relay 160 preferably is provided with a fourth set of normally-open contacts and the energizing coil of the valve 198 is connected in a series with those contacts, the switch 166, and with the transformer source of power 168, via conductors 280, 204, 206, 178, 180, 182, and 183. From the foregoing it will be seen that when the motor 86 stops, on the opening of the weigh switch 164, the door 184 closes to thereby quickly interrupt the further feeding of any fibers into the weigh pan 38 and thus insure better weighing accuracy.

The weigh pan 38 is dumped periodically by operation of a cam 208 driven in synchronism with the conveyor 142, as by being mounted on a shaft 210 driven directly by the rear roller 146 of the conveyor. The energizing circuit of the dumping solenoid valve 84 includes a normally-open switch 212 adapted to be closed for a brief interval during every revolution of the cam 208. The switches 166 and 212 and the coil of the solenoid valve 84 are connected in series and supplied with power from the transformer 168 via conductors 211, 213, 178, 180, 182 and 183.

The feeding of fibers by the machine 10 is timed with the movement of the conveyor 142 so that a predetermined weight of fibers is'periodically weighed out in the pan 38, and then the further feeding of fibers into the pan ceases Abecause of the opening of the weigh switch 164 as aforedescribed, and thereafter the conveyor driven cam 208 closes the switch 212 thus dumping the batch of fibers into the chute 136. The predetermined amount of fibers thus periodically dumped into the chute 136 is correspondingly correlated with the amount of fibers being withdrawn from the chute by the conveyor 142. In some instances, and depending to some extent upon the type of fibers being handled, it is desirable to operate the apparatus with the rear wall of the chute 136 in its forwardmost position. When so adjusted, the batches of fibers dropped in succession into the chute 136 are deposited one upon another and tend to form in the chute a static column of fibers that are of rectangular configuration in plan View. It will be seen that because the fibers are maintained in such column formation, the movement thereof by the conveyor 142 beneath the press roll 148 will form a mat of fibers having a high degree of uniformity as respects Weight per increment of length. With other types of fibers, this same result can be achieved by moving the rear wall 140 of the chute 136 to its rearwardmost position. When so adjusted, the successive batches of fibers dropped into the chute 136 tend to drop one behind another with only a small amount of overlap, directly onto the conveyor 142 as each batch is moved forwardly by the conveyor to form a mat on its passage beneath the press roll 148. In other words, each batch is substantially removed from the lower end of the chute 136 before a succeeding batch is dropped theresneden? 7 into. Nevertheless, because even when the rear Wall 140 is in its rearward position it still confines a dropped batch of fibersthe latter will not form a pile of irregular outline which wouldf cause a lack of uniformity in the mat or thicky web emerging from beneath the press roll 1li-8.

Depending upon the type of fibers being handled, it sometimes is desirable to drive the press roll 148 at the same peripheral speed asthe conveyor 142, as for example, by a belt drive 149- between appropriate pulleys on the shaft of the forward' conveyor roller 144 and on the shaft ofthe press roll. Inthe event that the fibers being handled are longvand somewhat Wiry, as, for example, so-called carpet yarns, it may even be desirable to replace the driven pressroll 148 with a short downwardly and forward-ly incline-d driven conveyor of the socalled nip type (not shown) in" order to facilitate removal of such wiry fibers from the `chute 136 in the form of an endless mat having a high degree of uniformity of weight per increment of length.

A second cam 214 on the shaft 210 is adapted to periodically openthe switch 162 in the energizing circuit for the relay 160. The cam 214 opens the switch 162 at the same moment that the cam 208 closes the dumping switch 212, but maintains the switch 162 open for a short time after the weigh pan 38 has been dumped belfore allowing the switch 162` to close. This interval of time during which the switch 162 is open is long enough to permit the weigh pan 38 to rise, the beam arm 42 to come to rest against the-stop 62, andthe dumping doors '70 to close before the motor 66 restarts to drive themachine to again feedv bers into the Weigh pan.

The energizing circuit for the solenoid valve 132 which controls the speed change mechanism of the machine 10 includes the switch 166,y the weight switch 164 and the normally-open contacts of a cam-ouperated switch 216, all connected in series with the transformer source, of power 168 by conductors 218, 220, 222, 224i, 174-, 1:76, 17S, 180, 182 and 183. A third cam 226 on theshaft 210 is adapted to periodically close the switch 216, during a last frac tional part, e.g., oneffofurth, ofthe time interval between dumping cycles, i.e., between the time when the cam 208 closes theV dump switch 212. From this arrangement it will be seen that if the weigh pan 38 has not received its predetermined Weight of fibers, sothat the Weight switch 164 is still closed, at the time that the-cam 226 closes the switch 216, lthe valve 132 Will beenergized and thus shift the machine 10 into high speed drive. Connected# in parallel with the` solenoid valve 152, via conductors 22.0, 222, and 228 is a lamp 23.0.. Thus, when the machine 10 is shifted into high speed drive the lamp 2370 is lighted and signals the operator that such has occurred. If, on the other hand, the machine 10 feeds the predetermined weight of fibers into the Weight pan 38 before thecam 226 closes the switch 216, the machine 10 will not be shifted into high speed drive because the energizing circuit for the solenoid valve 132will have been interrupted by the opening of the weight switch 164.

The foregoing :speed changing arrangement serves the purpose of assuring that the selected predetermined weight of fibers has been received in the weight pan 38 when the latter is dumped by the cam-operated switch 212. When the supply of fibers in the hopper 16 of the machine 10 is low, the machine feeds fibers ata somewhat slower rate than when such supply is high, Consequently, the foregoing speed change and signalling arrangement not only serves to assure that the machine 10 feeds the predetermined weight of fibers into the weight pan 38 before the latter is dumped, but also serves as a signal to the operator that additional fibers are needed in the hopper 16.

lt thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fully and'effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing specific embodiment has been sho-wn and described only for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention and is subject to extensive change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claim.

I claim:

Weighing mechanism comprising: a scale beam; a load holder therefor and movable therewith from an upper position to a lower positionon the receipt of a predetermined weight of material in said holder; a counterweight mounted for adjustment along said beam; magnetic means exerting a predetermined uni-directional substantially constant attractive force on said beam when said load holder is in said upper position for urging said beam to move in the same direction in which it is urged by said counterweight, said magnetic means including a magnet and a member of magnetic material, one fixed and one mounted on said beam; and an adjustable stop engageable by said beam for defining said upper position and for varyinglthe permissible spacing between said magnet and said member to adjust said attractive force when said load holder is in said upper position.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,881,060 10/32 Okey 177-264 2,351,533 6/44 Molins et al. 177-210 2,597,831 5/52 Willis 177-108 2,661,201 12/53l Bowes 177-157 X 2,886,302 5/59 Coffman et al. 177-185 3,071,202 1/63 Lytton et al. 177-246 LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

LEYLAND M. MARTIN, Examiner. 

